“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
The Basket Case Chronicles #148
“Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness” (1 Cor. 12:22–23).
Paul is willing to push the analogy pretty far. He has been arguing that the eye needs the ear, and vice versa, but he now moves on to the matter of honor—and does so in order to reverse the common expectation. He first says that parts of the body that seem to be “more feeble” are every bit as necessary as parts of the body which seem naturally honorable. He says that we go out of our way to cloth the less honorable parts of our body with beautiful fabric, but we don’t do anything like that to the forehead. Paul here is arguing from more than simple biological fact—he is arguing from the universal human custom of clothing and “covering for” the less honorable parts.
But do not assume that if one part of the body is always kept away from the microphone that this represents contempt. It is actually the way we cover for one another in love. Some parts of the body can be exposed, and others cannot be, but all parts of the body should be working together in love.